Final Destination 5 (2011)
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Final Destination 5 Movie Review
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by Steven Quale and starring Nicholas D’Agosto. It’s a surprisingly solid entry in the series.
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“A lucky few survive a disaster.
And then one by one, death comes for them all“
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A premonition helps Sam and his colleagues escape a fatal accident. Death, however, isn’t quite ready to part with its victims and it is up to Sam to use his memories to save his friends. This movie functioned as a prequel to the original and it was the last entry to be released until quite a while. I don’t know why when this was a big hit with critics and audiences as well.
This just might be the best entry after the original. It lacked the freshness of that first film, but it came close to it in terms of set pieces and memorable deaths. There is so much to love here, but I particularly admired how random those deaths felt. That randomness and unexpected nature have always been the best qualities of this crazy franchise and they nailed that effect here.
The highlight has to be that opening sequence set on the bridge. Seeing it collapse and people struggling not to fall made for such an epic beginning that was the perfect way to open the film. It rivaled the best sequence in the franchise, which was the car crash in the second flick.
Other standouts include that fun ending, the grotesque eye operation scene, and of course the gymnast sequence that was a glorious exercise not just in insane death scenarios, but also tremendous build-up. This movie actually used suspense to make those eventual deaths feel even more effective, which made it surprisingly sophisticated for this series.
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Final Destination 5 doesn’t have the best characters and this is where it paled in comparison to the original the most, but Nicholas D’Agosto was still a surprisingly strong protagonist. He’s immensely likable. Others are mostly just fodder, though the acting is serviceable overall. The overall plot is a repeat of the original, but it being a prequel made it more interesting.
Final Destination 5 is once again a repeat of the same basic plot of the original, but this was still the best entry in the franchise after the first one. Not only is that opening sequence truly epic, but most set pieces were so well executed here and they were also further elevated by solid build-up and suspense that were deftly incorporated. It’s a surprisingly well made and fun prequel that really worked.
My Rating – 3.5
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